Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has reportedly been killed following coordinated attacks on military installations across the country, according to sources cited by Al Jazeera.
The development emerged on Sunday, a day after his residence in the garrison town of Kati came under attack during a wave of simultaneous assaults launched on Saturday by an al-Qaeda affiliated group and Tuareg rebels.
Camara was a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, which took power after successive coups in 2020 and 2021. He had been widely regarded as one of the most influential figures within the ruling junta and was seen by some as a potential future leader of the country.
Reporting on the situation, Nicolas Haque said the minister’s death represents a significant setback for Mali’s armed forces.
According to Haque, attackers carried out a suicide car bomb assault on Camara’s residence in Kati, a heavily fortified military hub located about 15 kilometres northwest of the capital, Bamako.
Despite its reputation as one of the most secure areas in the country, fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, alongside Tuareg fighters from the Liberation Front of Azawad, were able to carry out the attack.
Gunmen also struck multiple locations nationwide, including Bamako, as well as Gao and Kidal in the north, and the central city of Sevare.
Haque noted that heavy gunfire and explosions were still being reported in Kidal more than 24 hours after the attacks began, indicating that security operations were ongoing.
Meanwhile, interim President Assimi Goita has faced mounting pressure following the offensive, with analysts suggesting authorities were caught off guard. However, Haque confirmed that Goita is safe and operating from a secure location, maintaining command of the military.
The attacks have drawn widespread condemnation from the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the US Bureau of African Affairs.
